1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in a sewing machine, and more particularly, to a sewing machine for use in an apparatus for pinching, positioning, and retaining a waistbelt end or waistband end before the waistbelt end is set to a garment setting plate. The present invention further relates to a waistbelt end pinching mechanism for an automatic waistbelt end folding machine adapted to fold the waistbelt inside double, which waistbelt is to be sewn to an upper portion of garments such as jeans, work pants, denim jackets, slacks and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A waistband end pinching apparatus of this class has been disclosed by the same inventor for the subject application in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,349, entitled "Sewing Machine". This sewing machine is composed of, as shown in the accompanying drawings FIGS. 13-15, a sewing head 100 for sewing the waistbelt 104a of the trousers 104 after the end portion of the waistbelt has been tucked into the waistbelt, setting means 101 insertable into the waistbelt of the trousers to position the waistbelt of the trousers prior to tucking of the end portion 104b of the waistbelt into the waistbelt 104a, tuck-in means 102 insertable into the waistbelt while the waistbelt is engaged by said setting means to tuck an end portion of the waistbelt, holder means 103 engageable with upper and lower side surfaces of the waistbelt to grip the waistbelt.
It has been heretofore customary to pinch a waistband end F of fabric or the like with the fingers of the operator for positioning and holding the waistbelt end until a cassette holder 16 of the holder means is advanced to hold the waistbelt end in position, as shown in FIG. 10, after it has been set to the garment setting plate of the setting means. The waistbelt is generally shaped into two piles of fabric contiguous to each other, the upper fold of the double-folded waistbelt being dimensioned shorter than the lower fold by about 1 mm. The former fold is sewed to the fly front of the body for the purpose of not only improving the quality of the lower fold but also avoiding poor needle penetration and skipped stitches.
Such fine adjustment or setting of the waistbelt end through finger work will result in less workability and more variation in retention of the waistbelt end, leading the waistbelt to variation in quality after the waistbelt has been sewed and possible injury to the fingers which hold the waistbelt end F when the cassette holder 16 is advanced.